PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS AND PHYSICAL RECREATION BY PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY

Of all persons aged 18 years and over with a disability, there were 829,900 (or 24.6%) who participated in sports or physical recreation during the 12 months prior to interview in 2003. The majority (468,200 or 56.4%) of these participants were male. Disability was defined as any limitation, restriction or impairment, which had lasted, or was likely to last, for at least six months and restricted everyday activities.

Overall, 28.2% of males with a disability participated in sports or physical recreation, compared with 21.1% of females. As might be expected, persons with a profound core activity restriction (i.e. a profound restriction in activities which comprise communication, mobility and self care) had the lowest participation rate (6.6%) of all the disability status categories.

Compared with the corresponding figures for 1998, the participation rates recorded in 2003 for persons with a disability were lower for all combinations of disability status and sex, with two exceptions - apparent increases in the participation rates for both males with a profound core activity limitation, and females with a mild core activity limitation. However, neither of these were statistically significant. On the other hand, several of the falls in participation rate were statistically significant - in particular, the drop of 11.0% (from 27.6% to 24.6%) in the overall participation rate for persons with a disability. Other significant falls in participation rate included the overall rate for males with a disability (by 12.5% from 32.2% to 28.2%), the rate for males with a mild core activity limitation (by 19.7% from 33.7% to 27.1%), and the rate for females with a moderate core activity limitation (by 24.2% from 21.6% to 16.3%).

As might be expected, the proportion of persons aged 18 years and over with a disability who participated in sports or physical recreation during the 12 months prior to interview in 2003 (24.6%) was much lower than that identified for the general population aged 18 years and over during the 12 months prior to interview in 2002 (62.4%). However, some of this difference may result from the age distribution of persons with a disability being skewed more towards older persons than is the case for the general population - 35.2% of persons with a disability were aged 65 years and over compared with only 12.6% of the general population. A higher proportion of older persons may result in a lower sports participation rate since, in the general population, only 45.6% of persons aged 65 years and over had participated in sports or physical recreation during the 12 months prior to interview in 2002, compared with 62.4% of all adults.

3.7 PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS OR PHYSICAL RECREATION(a), By disability status and sex - 1998 and 2003

1998

2003

Disabililty status

Males

Females

Persons

Males

Females

Persons

NUMBER ('000)

Profound core activity limitation(b)

10.2

11.0

21.1

13.5

9.8

23.3

Severe core activity limitation(b)

51.5

43.6

95.1

47.4

41.0

88.4

Moderate core activity limitation(b)

80.7

67.3

148.0

78.2

59.1

137.3

Mild core activity limitation(b)

166.9

111.3

278.2

138.8

119.9

258.7

Schooling or employment restriction

221.9

157.7

379.6

199.0

156.1

355.1

All with specific limitations or restrictions(c)

382.6

279.4

662.0

346.4

278.2

624.6

Total with reported disability(d)

491.7

352.5

844.3

468.2

361.7

829.9

PARTICIPATION RATE (%)

Profound core activity limitation(b)

8.7

6.1

7.1

10.0

4.5

6.6

Severe core activity limitation(b)

23.1

15.9

19.1

20.5

13.6

16.6

Moderate core activity limitation(b)

25.2

21.6

23.4

24.6

16.3

20.2

Mild core activity limitation(b)

33.7

23.5

28.7

27.1

25.0

26.1

Schooling or employment restriction

29.4

23.5

26.6

25.5

21.8

23.7

All with specific limitations or restrictions(c)

29.3

20.6

24.8

25.0

18.6

21.7

Total with reported disability(d)

32.2

23.0

27.6

28.2

21.1

24.6

(a) Refers to persons aged 18 years and over, living in households only, who participated in sports or physical recreation away from home during the 12 months prior to interview.

(b) Core activities comprise communication, mobility and self care.

(c) Total may be less than the sum of the components as persons may have both a core activity limitation and a schooling or employment restriction.

(d) Includes those who do not have a specific limitation or restriction.

Source: ABS data available on request; Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers; 1998 and 2003.